2. WHERE DO YOU GET YOUR INSPIRATION?

If Peter Molyneux had a pound for every time he was asked this, he’d be even richer than he already is. The answer is, the same places everyone gets inspiration for everything. From what you know, from who you are, from everything that has happened to you and from everything you are interested in. There is no special ideas place which, once you’ve found out about it, you can visit at will to get game ideas, film plots or storylines.

Have you noticed that certain themes recur in Peter’s games? The idea of controlling a lot of people through magic and the power of your will. The ability to shape and change worlds and the power one huge being can wield? Also, note how many times he plays with the ideas of good and evil and with belief, or mana. Essentially, there’s a theme running from Populous back in 1987 (god using magic on crowds of little worshippers), Powermonger (power over little people), Magic Carpet (powerful spells, belief and good and evil), Syndicate (good and evil, blasting crowds of little people), Theme Park (crowds of little people), Dungeon Keeper (good and evil, magic spells, belief, hordes of evil creatures). It goes right up to 2001 and Black & White, which has the lot (good and evil, crowds of followers, magic, belief, mana).

All this is true, but when you think about it, it’s an enormous question. Do the themes running through most of Peter’s work actually mean he’s trying to perfect his one big idea? He says no.

"Doing Black & White made me realise something. I don’t think there’s one perfect game in me, and that everything I do is striving to create it. I think there are a lot of different, games which are as good as Lionhead and I can make them. None are perfect because in this world you can’t write a perfect game. Many of the similarities in these games are like those you’ll see in work by one film maker or hear in the work of one recording artist. If we find lovely ideas, like mana, we’ll use them whenever we need to. We won’t shoehorn them in because people expect them. The old adage is true. Games, like everything creative, is one per cent inspiration and ninety-nine per cent perspiration."

And with that, he refused to talk about it any more. Indeed, a while ago, during a heavy PR session, Peter was asked where he got his inspiration from just one too many times.

"My inspiration comes from Brazil. From a place a hour’s drive north of Rio de Janeiro. I have it airfreighted to Guildford once a month."

Of course, increasingly it’s a joint effort. Peter’s strength is less that he has great ideas, and more than he gets the best ideas from his teams. Lionhead Studios and the satellites are packed with the brightest and best in the business. Inspiration is not something these people lack. And when they do run out of ideas, a quick spin of Peter’s Rolodex and voila - there’ s the phone number of the people an hour north of Rio.

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